Bill Self gets it, why doesn’t Kentucky?

It’s all the rage in college athletics right now. Twitter is all atwitter about it. College basketball and football analysts can’t stop the jibber-jabber about it. It… is conference realignment, and everyone is giving their two cents these days. When it comes to what’s best for their program, Kansas basketball head coach Bill Self gets it. Why doesn’t Kentucky?

In an article today on ESPN.com, Bill Self says that if offered, he doesn’t think Kansas would be wise to accept a chance to jump to the SEC. While Kansas won’t get asked because the addition of their football program to the SEC would be like adding another Kentucky. They would be a bottom feeder and be unable to compete in the football heavy conference.

The article goes on to talk about how Self was “diplomatic,” but that he realized the Kansas football would struggle to compete for a national title for elite bowls playing in the SEC. Sound familiar Kentucky fans?

Self does talk about the appeal of being able to play against some of the country’s top teams in football and having the two most winning basketball programs in the same conference. However, he says it’s more important to the program and their fans to play Missouri and Kansas State on a regular basis.

Bill Self gets it. He knows that their football program would struggle in a football-focused conference as a “basketball school.” Why doesn’t Kentucky?

Kentucky is not a natural fit for the Southeastern Conference. Geographically they might be better set in the Big Ten or the ACC. SEC schools are not overly distant from Kentucky, but Kentucky is the northern-most team in the conference. This hurts them in their outdoor sports in comparison to the southern teams that thrive in such sports annually. But overall, Kentucky does not belong in the SEC. While they are historically dominant in basketball, they are also historically brutal in football, especially as of late.

It would be wise for Kentucky to apply for a stronger basketball conference, for example, the ACC, where basketball is king and football is competitive. In the SEC, it’s quite the opposite. Kentucky could challenge themselves as a program by switching to a basketball conference and giving the football a legitimate chance to build a program in the ACC.

It would be mutually beneficial for both sports. Kentucky would not be leaving many rivalries behind. While Florida and Tennesse are considered Kentucky’s top “rivals” in basketball, only in the last decade have they been consistently competitive. And Tennessee is only going to get worse now that Bruce Pearl is out. Strengthening rivalries like Duke, North Carolina and potentially adding Villanova, Connecticut, and Syracuse as new rivals could only be a positive for Kentucky basketball-wise. It would be tough to win the conference and conference tournament as Kentucky is accustomed to, but as everyone knows, Calipari is not concerned with such things. He is only concerned with adding banners to the ceiling of Rupp Arena, as he should. The treacherous ACC schedule would allow his top talent prepare for the rigors of the NCAA Tournament.

On the football side of things, it is evident that Kentucky is not pouring enough resources into that sport. They are behind the times in just about everything in comparison to their SEC opponents. They are unable to recruit at the same level as LSU, Alabama, Florida and the like. Besides a new sound system and video boards, Kentucky is not ramping up their efforts to be a factor in the SEC. They are simply accepting their paychecks along with weekly beat downs while things remain status quo. If Kentucky can’t afford to run with the big boys, why not run in a different race? While the ACC has some perennial powers, they are top 25 teams instead of top five-type programs. The ACC ceiling is not as high and the basement is much lower. It would give Kentucky, at the very least, a chance to compete for a conference title every few years, instead of no chance to even win their division in the SEC.

What Kentucky is doing with their football program is disappointing. The passion of the Kentucky fan base is not relegated to just men’s basketball, but if they are the only program attempting to win at a high-level, fans will focus their efforts basketball only. Kentucky is very much in danger of losing the fan base it has as the program continues to regress. Unless changes are made, either in the amount of support that goes into the program, a conference switch, or new philosophical and staff direction, Kentucky is in for a rude awakening. Season tickets will decrease, fans will stop coming, and Kentucky football will no longer be an activity to help fans wait for basketball, it just won’t exist in their minds.

With the two most important Kentucky athletic programs at such extremely different sides of the spectrum, there has never been a better time for the Athletic Department to think about a change for the better. Kentucky is risking a lot by the way they are treating their football program and it’s going to be tough to continue to sell a two-win football team.

Bill Self understands that college athletics, especially the money-making programs, don’t exist of there isn’t a fan base to support them. So for Kentucky, it’s time they do something for their fans, and make some changes. Whether they be major or subtle, it’s time that Kentucky changes its philosophy and focus some more time on the Kentucky football program, because without it, bit by bit, the Kentucky Athletic Department will feel the consequences across the board.